Opinion: Percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation compared to standard medical therapy in adolescents with functional abdominal pain disorders

Editorial: Non-invasive and minimally invasive vagus nerve stimulation for chronic pain

“…Within our topic, several studies utilize auricular percutaneous electric nerve field stimulation (PENFS), which may activate several nerves including those in the vagal complex, serving as a percutaneous form of VNS. PENFS is FDA cleared to treat disorders of the gut-brain interaction, which until now had been treated primarily with pharmacotherapy such as anticholinergic drugs ( 8 ). Because acetycholine is a primary neurotransmitter for the vagus nerve, which also impacts digestive and other visceral functions, it is plausible that stimulation of the vagus nerve by PENFS can impact functional abdominal pain and other gut-brain disorders, as discussed below.…”